JP2015079691A - Photoelectronic sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photoelectronic sensor capable of being downsized and suppressing a display element failure, erroneous display, and deviation in an optical axis of an optical base.SOLUTION: A photoelectronic sensor comprises an optical base 50, a display element 61 including a display surface, a switch board module 40 in which an electric contact 43 for detecting a depressing operation to an operator 46 is formed, and a sensor housing 30. The sensor housing 30 is formed of an upper surface plate 31 in which the display element 61 and the operator 46 are arranged, sidewalls 32 to 34 extending downward from the upper surface plate 31, and a lower surface plate 35 facing the upper surface plate 31. The display element 61 is supported from the lower surface side by the upper surface plate 31. The switch board module 40 is supported by a substrate support wall 32a protruding from a support sidewall 32. The electric contact 43 faces the operator 46 inserted into an operator through hole 31b of the upper surface plate 31. The optical base 50 is fixed to the sidewalls 32 to 34 or the lower surface plate 35, and arranged downward apart from the lower surface of the substrate support wall 32a.

Description

  The present invention relates to a photoelectric sensor, and more particularly to an improvement of a photoelectric sensor in which a display element having a display surface and an operation element for pressing an electrical contact are arranged on an upper plate of a sensor housing.

  The reflective photoelectric sensor includes a light projecting unit that emits detection light toward the workpiece, a light receiving unit that receives reflected light from the workpiece, and a control that generates a determination signal indicating the presence or absence of the workpiece based on the light reception result. It consists of parts. Optical members such as a light emitting element that generates detection light and a light projecting lens that condenses detection light are held by a base member called an optical base. Usually, a photoelectric sensor is provided with a display element for displaying a received light amount, a determination threshold value, and the like, and a push-type operation key for inputting the determination threshold value and the like. Further, a 7-segment display is used as the display element, and a display element having an operation element constituting the operation key and a display surface is disposed on an upper surface plate of a sensor housing that houses an optical base and the like.

  In the conventional photoelectric sensor as described above, the display element and the electrical contact for detecting the pressing operation on the operator are arranged on a common wiring board. For this reason, when the operator is pressed, vibrations generated on the wiring board, stress applied to the wiring board, and distortion of the wiring board are easily transmitted to the display element, and the display element may be broken or erroneously displayed. There was a problem. In addition, the wiring board on which the electrical contacts for the operation elements are disposed is housed in the sensor casing in a state of being fixed to the optical base. Such a photoelectric sensor has a problem that the optical axis of the optical base is displaced due to the influence of vibration and stress during the pressing operation.

  Further, in the photoelectric sensor in which the operation element is disposed on the upper surface plate of the sensor housing together with the display element, the electrical contacts for the operation element and the display element need to be disposed on the same wiring board. There was a problem that the width of the body would increase.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can reduce the size of a photoelectric sensor while suppressing the occurrence of a display element failure or erroneous display and suppressing the occurrence of a shift in the optical axis of an optical base. The purpose is to provide.

  In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a photoelectric sensor that can suppress vibration and stress during a pressing operation on an operator from being transmitted to a display element and an optical base. Moreover, it aims at providing the photoelectric sensor which can suppress that the width | variety of a sensor housing | casing increases.

  A photoelectric sensor according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an optical base that holds a light emitting element that generates detection light, a display element having a display surface, and an operation board on which an electrical contact that detects a pressing operation on the operator is formed, A sensor housing, and the sensor housing is formed by an upper surface plate on which the display element and the operation element are disposed, a side wall extending downward from the upper surface plate, and a lower surface plate facing the upper surface plate. The display element is supported from the lower surface side by the upper surface plate, the operation substrate is supported by a substrate support wall extending substantially parallel to the upper surface plate from the side wall, and the electrical contact is The optical base is fixed to the side wall or the lower surface plate and is spaced downward from the lower surface of the substrate support wall, facing the operation member inserted into the operation member through hole of the upper surface plate. Like It is.

  In this photoelectric sensor, the display element is supported by the upper surface plate of the sensor housing, while the operation substrate is supported by the substrate support wall provided on the side wall extending downward from the upper surface plate. That is, when the operator is pressed, vibration generated in the operation board and stress applied to the operation board are transmitted to the side wall. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the display element from being broken or erroneously displayed due to the influence of vibration or stress during the pressing operation.

  In addition, while the optical base is fixed to the side wall or the bottom plate, the operation substrate is supported by the substrate support wall protruding from the side wall, so that vibration and stress during the pressing operation are transmitted from the operation substrate to the side wall. Become. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a shift in the optical axis of the optical base due to the influence of vibration or stress during the pressing operation. In particular, since the optical base is arranged to be spaced downward from the lower surface of the substrate support wall, even if the substrate support wall bends downward due to vibration or stress during the pressing operation, or even if the substrate support wall is distorted. The substrate support wall can be prevented from coming into contact with the optical base.

  In addition to the above configuration, the photoelectric sensor according to the second aspect of the present invention is configured such that a part of the operation board is disposed below the display element. According to such a configuration, since the operation board and the display element are arranged so as to overlap each other, the width of the sensor housing increases even if the operation element is a photoelectric sensor arranged on the upper surface plate together with the display element. Can be suppressed.

  In addition to the above-described configuration, the photoelectric sensor according to a third aspect of the present invention includes a sealing member made of an elastic material having a shape in which a manipulator contact portion facing the manipulator through hole is surrounded by a thicker peripheral edge portion, and A sealing member holder made of a frame that holds the sealing member in a state in which the peripheral edge of the sealing member is projected, and the sealing member holder is placed between the upper surface plate and the substrate support wall on the upper surface. The operation board through hole is configured to be closed by the sealing member by press-fitting the operation board superimposed on the side.

  According to such a configuration, when the sealing member holder and the operation substrate are press-fitted between the upper surface plate and the substrate support wall, the peripheral portion of the sealing member is elastically deformed, and the peripheral portion and the upper surface plate or the operation substrate are Since the adhesion is increased, the operator through hole of the upper surface plate can be reliably sealed by the sealing member.

  In the photoelectric sensor according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, the operation board has a cross-sectional shape protruding from the lower surface and is provided with a rib extending in the insertion direction when the operation board is assembled to the sensor housing. Configured as follows.

  According to such a configuration, when the sealing member holder and the operation substrate are press-fitted between the upper surface plate and the substrate support wall, the ribs are crushed so that they can be easily inserted. Workability at the time of assembling to the housing can be improved.

  In the photoelectric sensor according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, the sensor housing has a first side wall and a first side wall provided with a projection window for emitting the upper surface plate, the lower surface plate, and the detection light. A case main body constituted by a second opposing side wall and a support side wall provided with the substrate support wall, and a main body cover constituting the side wall facing the support side wall and closing the opening of the case main body. Configured.

  According to such a configuration, since the support side wall can be accessed through the opening of the case body and the internal space, workability when the operation substrate is assembled to the substrate support wall protruding from the support side wall can be improved.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a photoelectric sensor that can be downsized while suppressing the occurrence of a display element failure or erroneous display and suppressing the occurrence of a shift in the optical axis of the optical base. In particular, in the photoelectric sensor according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the vibration and stress during the pressing operation on the operation element from being transmitted to the display element and the optical base. Moreover, even if the operation element is a photoelectric sensor disposed on the upper surface plate together with the display element, it is possible to suppress an increase in the width of the sensor housing.

1 is an external view showing a configuration example of a photoelectric sensor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a reflective photoelectric sensor 1. FIG. It is the figure which showed the upper surface of the case main body 30a of FIG. 1, and the case main body 30a with which the sealing member holder 45 and the switch board module 40 were assembled | attached is shown. It is sectional drawing which showed the structural example of the case main body 30a of FIG. 2, and the cut surface at the time of cut | disconnecting the case main body 30a by the A1-A1 cutting line is shown. It is sectional drawing which showed the structural example of the case main body 30a of FIG. 2, and the cut surface at the time of cut | disconnecting the case main body 30a by the A2-A2 cutting line is shown. It is sectional drawing which showed the structural example of the case main body 30a of FIG. 2, and the cut surface at the time of cut | disconnecting the case main body 30a by the B1-B1 cutting line is shown. It is sectional drawing which showed the structural example of the case main body 30a of FIG. 2, and the cut surface at the time of cut | disconnecting the case main body 30a by the B2-B2 cutting line is shown. It is the perspective view which decomposed | disassembled and showed the photoelectric sensor 1 of FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of the switch board module 40 of FIG. 7, in which a plurality of ribs 42 a provided on the lower surface of the board holder 42 are illustrated. It is the perspective view which showed the structural example of the sealing member 44 of FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a manufacturing process of the photoelectric sensor 1 of FIG. 7, in which a process of assembling the sealing member holder 45 and the switch board module 40 is illustrated. It is the perspective view which showed an example of the manufacturing process of the photoelectric sensor 1 of FIG. 7, and the process of assembling the display module 60 to the case main body 30a is shown. It is the perspective view which showed an example of the manufacturing process of the photoelectric sensor 1 of FIG. 7, and the process of attaching the optical base 50 to the case main body 30a is shown. It is the figure which showed the structural example of the photoelectric sensor 1 of FIG. 1, and the light projection / reception surface of the case main body 30a is shown. It is sectional drawing which showed the structural example of the photoelectric sensor 1 of FIG. 13, and the cut surface at the time of cut | disconnecting the case main body 30a with a CC cutting line is shown.

<Photoelectric sensor 1>
FIG. 1 is an external view showing a configuration example of a photoelectric sensor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a reflective photoelectric sensor 1. In this specification, the housing surface on which the set key 3, select keys 4 and 5 and the screen display unit 6 are arranged is referred to as the upper surface, and the direction perpendicular to the upper surface is defined as the x direction and is detected within a plane facing the upper surface. The direction parallel to the light projection axis of the light L1 is called the z direction, and the direction perpendicular to the light projection axis is called the y direction.

  The photoelectric sensor 1 is a detection switch that irradiates the detection object with the detection light L1, receives the reflected light L2 from the detection object, and generates a determination signal indicating the presence or absence of the detection object. For example, the photoelectric sensor 1 is a distance measurement type photoelectric sensor that determines a distance to a detection target based on the light reception timing of the reflected light L1 and compares the distance with a determination threshold value to generate a determination signal. Further, visible light is used as the detection light L1.

  The photoelectric sensor 1 includes a light projecting unit 10 that emits detection light L1 toward a detection target, a light receiving unit 20 that receives reflected light L2 from the detection target, an indicator lamp 2, a set key 3, and a select key 4. , 5 and the screen display unit 6, and a sensor housing 30.

  The sensor housing 30 includes a light emitting element that generates the detection light L1, a case main body 30a that houses a projection lens that collects the detection light L1, and the like, and a main body cover 30b for closing the side opening of the case main body 30a. . The light projecting unit 10 and the light receiving unit 20 are arranged on the light projecting / receiving surface of the case main body 30a, and the indicator lamp 2, the set key 3, the select keys 4, 5 and the screen display unit 6 are arranged on the upper surface of the case main body 30a. Yes.

  The indicator lamp 2 is a display device that indicates the presence / absence of a detection target, a light receiving state, and the like by a light emission color and a lighting state. The indicator lamp 2 is disposed at the end of the upper surface of the case body 30a on the light projecting / receiving surface side. The set key 3 and the select keys 4 and 5 are operation keys for various inputs such as determination threshold values and screen switching, and are composed of push-type contact type switches. The screen display unit 6 includes a display device for displaying a distance measurement value, a determination threshold value, and the like on the screen, and has a rectangular display screen that is long in the z direction, that is, the light projecting axis direction.

  In the photoelectric sensor 1, a set key 3 and select keys 4 and 5 are arranged in the vicinity of the screen display unit 6. The set key 3 is arranged between the short side of the display screen and the indicator lamp 2, and the select keys 4 and 5 are arranged along the long side of the display screen.

  FIG. 2 is a view showing the upper surface of the case main body 30a of FIG. 1, and shows the case main body 30a in which the sealing member holder 45, the switch board module 40, and the optical base 50 are assembled. 3 to 6 are sectional views showing a configuration example of the case main body 30a of FIG. However, in FIGS. 5 and 6, the optical base 50 is omitted.

  3 shows a cut surface when the case main body 30a is cut along the A1-A1 cutting line, and FIG. 4 shows a cut surface when the case main body 30a is cut along the A2-A2 cutting line. Yes. FIG. 5 shows a cut surface when the case main body 30a is cut along the B1-B1 cutting line.

  The A1-A1 cut line is a straight line in the y direction passing through the central axis of the select key 4, and the cut surface by the A1-A1 cut line is a plane parallel to the xy plane, that is, perpendicular to the light projection axis of the detection light L1. It is a flat surface. The A2-A2 cutting line is a straight line passing through the select key 5 in the y direction. The B1-B1 cutting line is a straight line in the z direction passing through the central axes of the select keys 4 and 5, and the cutting plane by the B1-B1 cutting line is a plane parallel to the zx plane.

  Each of the set key 3 and the select keys 4 and 5 includes an operation element 46 and an electric contact 43 that detects a pressing operation on the operation element 46. The operation element 46 is held so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and applies a pressing force to the electrical contact 43 when pressed down by a finger. The operation element 46 includes a pusher part that extends in the vertical direction and a key top part that contacts the finger.

  The case main body 30 a includes an upper surface plate 31 on which the display module 60 and the operation element 46 are disposed, a support side wall 32 that extends downward from the upper surface plate 31, a first side wall 33, a second side wall 34, and a lower surface that faces the upper surface plate 31. And a face plate 35. The support side wall 32 is a side wall perpendicular to the y direction, and is provided with an optical base mounting portion 32b for mounting an optical base 50 described later. The first side wall 33 is a side wall perpendicular to the light projection axis of the detection light L1, and is provided with a light projection window for emitting the detection light L1. The second side wall 34 is a side wall facing the first side wall 33. The case body 30a accommodates the sealing member holder 45, the switch board module 40, and the optical base 50.

<Switch board module 40>
The switch board module 40 is an operation board on which the electrical contacts 43 are formed, and has a planar shape surrounding the display surface of the display module 60. In the switch board module 40, two electrical contacts 43 constituting the select keys 4 and 5 are formed in the long side region extending along the long side of the display surface, and the short side region extending along the short side of the display surface. In addition, one electrical contact 43 constituting the set key 3 is formed. For example, the switch board module 40 includes a flexible board 41 on which the electrical contacts 43 are arranged on the upper surface, and a board holder 42 that holds the flexible board 41.

  The substrate holder 42 has a cross-sectional shape that covers the lower surface and the end surface of the flexible substrate 41 and is a holding member that secures a gap between the upper surface of the flexible substrate 41 and the lower surface of the sealing member holder 45.

<Sealing member holder 45>
The sealing member holder 45 includes a frame body that holds a sealing member 44 for sealing the operation element through hole 31 b formed in the upper surface plate 31, and displays the display module 60 in the same manner as the switch board module 40. It has a planar shape surrounding the surface. The sealing member 44 is a seal packing made of an elastic material, and has a shape in which a manipulator contact portion facing the manipulator through hole 31b is surrounded by a thicker peripheral edge. The sealing member holder 45 holds the sealing member 44 with the peripheral edge of the sealing member 44 protruding from the upper surface.

<Display module 60>
The display module 60 is a display device that constitutes the screen display unit 6, and includes a display element 61 having a display screen and a display element holder 62 that holds the display element 61. For example, the display element 61 is made of an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) whose light emitting layer is made of an organic compound, and has a thin flat plate shape. The display element holder 62 is made of a protective member for improving resistance to noise, and has a cross-sectional shape that covers the lower surface and the end surface of the display element 61.

  The upper surface plate 31 has a screen opening 31a for exposing the display screen of the display element 61, an operation element through hole 31b through which the operation element 46 is inserted, and a display module for supporting the peripheral portion of the display module 60 from the lower surface side. A support portion 31c is formed. The display module support portion 31 c has a flat cross section that projects in the y direction across the long side of the display element 61, and the upper surface is in contact with the lower surface of the display element holder 62. The screen opening 31 a is sealed with a screen cover 63.

  The long side region of the switch board module 40 is supported by a board support wall 32 a that protrudes from the support side wall 32 substantially parallel to the upper surface plate 31. The substrate support wall 32 a has a plate-like cross section that extends in the y direction across the long side of the display element 61, and the upper surface is in contact with the lower surface of the substrate holder 42. The electrical contact 43 faces the operation element 46 inserted through the operation element through hole 31 b of the upper surface plate 31 and is pressed down via the sealing member 44.

  In the photoelectric sensor 1, the display module 60 is supported by the upper surface plate 31, while the switch substrate module 40 is supported by a substrate support wall 32 a provided on a support side wall 32 that extends downward from the upper surface plate 31. That is, when the select key 4 or 5 is pressed, vibration generated in the switch board module 40 and stress applied to the switch board module 40 are transmitted to the support side wall 32. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the display element 61 from being broken or erroneously displayed due to the influence of vibration or stress during the pressing operation.

  A part of the switch board module 40 is disposed below the display element 61. That is, the end portion of the switch board module 40 wraps around the lower surface side of the display element 61. By causing a part of the switch board module 40 to wrap around the lower surface side of the display element 61, it is possible to suppress an increase in the width of the photoelectric sensor 1 in the y direction. In particular, the screen display unit 6 and the select keys 4 and 5 can be arranged even on a narrow surface of the sensor housing 30.

  The sealing member holder 45 is disposed on the upper surface side of the switch board module 40. Further, the sealing member holder 45 and the switch substrate module 40 are press-fitted between the upper surface plate 31 and the substrate support wall 32a in a superposed state. With such a configuration, when the sealing member holder 45 and the switch board module 40 are press-fitted between the upper surface plate 31 and the substrate support wall 32a, the peripheral portion of the sealing member 44 is elastically deformed, and the peripheral portion and the upper surface plate 31 are elastically deformed. Therefore, the operator through hole 31b of the upper surface plate 31 can be reliably sealed by the sealing member 44.

  The optical base 50 is a base member for holding optical members such as a light emitting element that generates the detection light L1 and a light projecting lens. The optical base 50 is fixed to the support side wall 32 by screwing the screw 7 into the optical base mounting portion 32 b via the optical base 50.

  FIG. 6 shows a cut surface when the case main body 30a is cut along the B2-B2 cutting line. The B2-B2 cutting line is a straight line in the z direction passing through the central axis of the set key 3, and the cutting plane by the B2-B2 cutting line is a plane parallel to the zx plane.

  The short side region of the switch board module 40 is supported by a board support wall 33a that extends substantially parallel to the upper surface plate 31 from the first side wall 33, and the electrical contact 33 that constitutes the set key 3 is the operator through hole of the upper surface plate 31. It faces the operation element 46 inserted through 31b. Since the short side area of the switch board module 40 to which a pressing force is applied when the set key 3 is pressed is supported by the board support wall 33a provided on the first side wall 33, vibration and stress during the pressing operation are not affected. Transmission from the switch board module 40 to the display element 61 can be suppressed.

  FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the photoelectric sensor 1 of FIG. The photoelectric sensor 1 includes a light emitting element 11, a light projecting lens 12, a light projecting lens cover 13, a light receiving lens cover 21, a light receiving lens 22, a light receiving element 23, a case main body 30a, a main body cover 30b, a switch board module 40, a sealing member. The holder 45, the operators 46 a to 46 c, the optical base 50, the light projecting substrate 51, the light receiving substrate 52, the main substrate 53, the power supply substrate 54, the display module 60, and the screen cover 63 are configured.

  The sensor housing 30 includes a case main body 30a and a main body cover 30b, and has an internal space for accommodating the switch board module 40, the sealing member holder 45, and the optical base 50. The case main body 30 a includes an upper surface plate 31, a lower surface plate 35 facing the upper surface plate 31, a first side wall 33 provided with a light projection window for emitting the detection light L <b> 1, and a second side facing the first side wall 33. The side wall 34 and the support side wall 32 provided with the substrate support wall 32a are configured. The main body cover 30b is a flat plate member that forms a side wall that faces the support side wall 32 and closes the side opening of the case main body 30a.

  The display module 60 includes a display element 61 and a display element holder 62. In the display element 61, a flexible substrate extends from an end portion on the main body cover 30b side, and a connector portion for connecting to the main substrate 53 is provided at the tip of the flexible substrate. For example, the display element holder 62 is made of a resin having excellent mechanical strength.

  The switch board module 40 includes a flexible board 41 and a board holder 42 and has a planar shape surrounding the display screen of the display element 61. For example, the substrate holder 42 is made of resin.

  A connector portion for connecting to the main substrate 53 is provided at one end of the flexible substrate 41. In addition, three electrical contacts 43 are disposed on the upper surface of the flexible substrate 41. The electrical contact 43 is a surface-mounting type contact that is made conductive by the pressing force of the operating elements 46a to 46c.

  For example, the electrical contact 43 includes a first contact made of an electrode pad formed on the substrate surface and a second contact made of a dome-shaped electrode plate that covers the electrode pad. The dome-shaped electrode plate is elastically deformed by the pressing force applied from the operating elements 46a to 46c and comes into contact with the electrode pad, whereby the first contact and the second contact are conducted. Both the sealing member 44 and the sealing member holder 45 are made of a resin material.

<Optical base 50>
The optical base 50 is made of a structure having a shape for ensuring strength, and includes a light emitting element 11, a light projecting lens 12, a light receiving lens 22, a light receiving element 23, a light projecting board 51, a light receiving board 52, a main board 53, and a power source. A substrate 54 is attached. The optical base 50 is made of a high-strength resin material.

  The light emitting element 11 is a light source device that generates the detection light L1. For example, an LD (laser diode) that generates red laser light is used for the light emitting element 11. The light projecting lens 12 is composed of one or more optical lenses arranged on the optical axis of the light emitting element 11, and condenses the detection light L <b> 1 from the light emitting element 11.

  The light receiving lens 22 is composed of one or more optical lenses that collect the reflected light L <b> 2 from the detection target and form an image on the light receiving element 23. The light receiving element 23 is a photoelectric conversion element that generates a light reception signal corresponding to the reflected light L <b> 2, and is disposed on the optical axis of the light receiving lens 22. For example, the light receiving element 23 includes a PD (photodiode), and generates a light reception signal whose current value changes according to the light reception intensity.

  The light projecting lens cover 13 is an optical member for protecting the light projecting lens 12 and is made of a transparent material, for example, an acrylic resin material. The light receiving lens cover 21 is an optical member for protecting the light receiving lens 22 and is made of a transparent material, for example, the same acrylic resin material as that of the light projecting lens cover 13.

  The light projecting substrate 51 is a wiring substrate in which the light emitting element 11 is disposed on one main surface. The light receiving substrate 52 is a wiring substrate in which the light receiving element 23 is disposed on one main surface. The main board 53 is a circuit board on which a control circuit for performing main control such as light projection / reception control is disposed. The power supply board 54 is a circuit board on which a light emitting / receiving power supply circuit and a display power supply circuit are arranged.

  The light projecting lens 12 and the light receiving lens 22 are attached to one end of the optical base 50 in the z direction, and the light projecting substrate 51 and the light receiving substrate 52 are attached to the other end of the optical base 50 in the z direction. Yes. The main board 53 is attached to the end of the optical base 50 on the main body cover 30b side, and the power supply board 54 is attached to the end of the optical base 50 on the lower surface side. The light projecting substrate 51, the light receiving substrate 52, the main substrate 53, and the power supply substrate 54 are all screwed to the optical base 50.

<Case body 30a>
The case main body 30a is a rectangular parallelepiped member, and is made of a high-strength, high-rigidity metal material such as a zinc alloy. The top plate 31 has a screen opening 31a for exposing the display screen of the display element 61, three operation element through holes 31b through which the operation elements 46a to 46c are respectively inserted, and a display module support for supporting the display module 60. A portion 31c is provided. The screen cover 63 is made of a transparent material, for example, an acrylic resin material, and is attached to the upper surface plate 31 so as to close the screen opening 31a.

  The first side wall 33 forms a light projecting / receiving surface, and is provided with a light projecting window for emitting the detection light L1 and a light receiving window for entering the reflected light L2. The light projecting window and the light receiving window are respectively sealed by the light projecting lens cover 13 and the light receiving lens cover 21. The second side wall 34 is provided with a cable hole or the like for drawing out the wiring cable.

  The body cover 30b is screwed to the case body 30a. In addition, it may replace with screwing and the structure which fixes the main body cover 30b to the case main body 30a using an adhesive agent may be sufficient. Alternatively, the main body cover 30b may be fixed to the case main body 30a using an adhesive in addition to screwing.

  The support side wall 32 is provided with a substrate support wall 32 a for supporting the switch substrate module 40 and an optical base mounting portion 32 b for mounting the optical base 50. That is, the optical base 50 is fixed to the supporting side wall 32 by screwing to the optical base mounting portion 32b.

  In this way, the optical base 50 is fixed to the support side wall 32, while the switch board module 40 is supported by the substrate support wall 32a protruding from the support side wall 32 and the substrate support wall 33a protruding from the first side wall 33. Is done. That is, vibration generated in the switch board module 40 and stress applied to the switch board module 40 when the operating elements 46a to 46c are pressed down are transmitted to the support side wall 32. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the optical axis of the optical base 50 from being displaced due to the influence of vibration and stress during the pressing operation.

  The substrate support walls 32a and 33a extend in a direction intersecting the pressing direction of the operating elements 46a to 46c, while the support side wall 32 and the first side wall 33 extend in parallel with the pressing direction. For this reason, the support side wall 32 and the first side wall 33 are less likely to be deformed than the substrate support walls 32a and 33a with respect to the pressing force by the operating elements 46a to 46c. By attaching the optical base 50 and the switch board module 40 to the case main body 30a via the support side wall 32, the optical axis of the optical base 50 is prevented from being shifted due to the influence of vibration and stress during the pressing operation. doing.

  The optical base 50 is arranged to be spaced downward from the lower surfaces of the substrate support walls 32a and 33a. With such a configuration, even if the substrate support walls 32a and 33a are bent downward due to vibration or stress during the pressing operation, or even if the substrate support walls 32a and 33a are distorted, the substrate support walls 32a and 33a are optical bases. 50 can be prevented from contacting.

<Substrate holder 42>
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the switch board module 40 of FIG. 7, and shows a plurality of ribs 42 a provided on the lower surface of the board holder 42. (A) in the drawing shows the entire lower surface of the substrate holder 42, and (b) shows an enlarged portion of the lower surface of the substrate holder 42.

  The rib 42a is a sealing member for pressing the sealing member 44 against the lower surface of the upper surface plate 31, and has a cross-sectional shape protruding from the lower surface of the substrate holder 42, for example, a triangular cross-sectional shape. The ribs 42a extend in the insertion direction when the switch board module 40 is assembled to the case body 30a. In this example, six ribs 42a are formed. Each rib 42a is formed at a position facing the substrate support wall 32a.

<Sealing member 44>
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the sealing member 44 of FIG. 7, (a) in the figure shows the sealing member 44 before mounting, and (b) shows the sealing member. The sealing member 44 after being attached to the member holder 45 is shown. The sealing member 44 includes a bottomed operating element contact portion 44b and a peripheral edge portion 44a that is thicker than the operating element contact portion 44b. The operating element contact portion 44b is surrounded by the peripheral edge portion 44a. It is made of elastic material. The sealing member 44 is disposed such that the operation element contact portion 44 b faces the operation element through hole 31 b of the upper surface plate 31 and the front end of the operation element 46 contacts.

  By inserting the sealing member holder 45 and the switch substrate module 40 between the upper surface plate 31 and the substrate support wall 32a of the case body 30a, the peripheral portion 44a of the sealing member 44 is placed on the lower surface of the upper surface plate 31. The peripheral edge portion 44a is compressed by being pressed. The sealing member holder 45 may be inserted in advance between the upper surface plate 31 of the case main body 30a and the substrate support wall 32a, and the switch substrate module 40 may be press-fitted in that state. In any case, the compressive force on the peripheral portion 44a is adjusted by crushing the rib 42a of the substrate holder 42, so that the sealing member holder 45 and the switch substrate module 40 are compared with the case where the switch substrate module 40 is thickened. Can be easily inserted.

  When the operation element 46 is pressed, the tip thereof abuts on the operation element contact part 44b of the sealing member 44 and presses the electric contact 43 on the flexible substrate 41 through the operation element contact part 44b. For this reason, the operation element through-hole 31b of the upper surface plate 31 is securely sealed, and the waterproofness to the internal space can be ensured.

  In particular, the sealing member holder 45 and the switch substrate module 40 are held between the upper surface plate 31 and the substrate support wall 32a in an overlapped state. For this reason, since the peripheral edge portion 44a of the sealing member 44 is pressed against the upper surface plate 31 and elastically deforms, the adhesion between the peripheral edge portion 44a and the upper surface plate 31 is increased, and the operator through hole 31b is reliably sealed. Can do.

  FIGS. 10-12 is the perspective view which showed an example of the manufacturing process of the photoelectric sensor 1 of FIG. 10A to 10E show a process of assembling the sealing member holder 45 and the switch board module 40 in this order with respect to the case main body 30a. 11A and 11B show a process of assembling the display module 60 to the case body 30a to which the sealing member holder 45 and the switch board module 40 are attached. 12A and 12B show a process of assembling the optical base 50 to the case main body 30a to which the display module 60 is attached.

  After the sealing member holder 45 is inserted between the upper plate 31 of the case body 30a and the substrate support walls 32a and 33a, the switch board module 40 is press-fitted between the sealing member holder 45 and the substrate support walls 32a and 33a. To do. At this time, the sealing member holder 45 is pressed against the upper surface plate 31 by the rib 42a of the substrate holder 42, and the peripheral edge portion 44a of the sealing member 44 is compressed.

  The display module 60 is fitted on the display module support part 31 c of the upper surface plate 31. The optical base 50 is attached to the case body 30a after attaching optical members such as the light projecting lens 12 and the light receiving lens 22 and the light projecting substrate 51, the light receiving substrate 52, the main substrate 53, and the power supply substrate 54. The optical base 50 is screwed to the support side wall 32 of the case body 30a. With such a configuration, the support side wall 32 can be accessed through the side opening and the internal space of the case body 30a. Therefore, the switch board module 40 is assembled to the board support wall 32a protruding from the support side wall 32, or the optical base 50 is mounted. Workability at the time of screwing to the support side wall 32 can be improved.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the photoelectric sensor 1 of FIG. 1, and shows a light projecting / receiving surface of the case main body 30a. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the photoelectric sensor 1 of FIG. 13, and shows a cut surface when the case main body 30a is cut along a C-C cutting line. An indicator lamp cover 2a is attached to the upper surface of the case body 30a so as to cover the opening for the indicator lamp.

  The light projecting / receiving surface of the case main body 30a is formed by a light projecting lens cover 13 that covers the light projecting opening formed on the front surface of the case main body 30a, and a light receiving lens cover 21 that covers the light receiving opening formed on the front surface of the case main body 30a. Composed. The light projecting area comprising the light projecting lens cover 13 is mostly adjacent to the light receiving area.

  The light projecting lens cover 13 and the light receiving lens cover 21 seal the light projecting opening and the light receiving opening, respectively. The case body 30a is formed with a partition wall 30c that separates the internal space into a light projecting space in which the optical path of the detection light L1 is formed and a light receiving space in which the optical path of the reflected light L2 is formed, and one end 30d of the partition wall 30c is , Exposed to external space.

  One end 30 d protrudes beyond the light projecting lens cover 13 and the light receiving lens cover 21. By providing such one end 30d on the partition wall 30c, the surface of the light projecting lens cover 13 and a part of the detection light L1 reflected by the foreign matter adhering to the light projecting lens cover 13 enter the light receiving space, and the disturbance light and Can be prevented.

  According to the present embodiment, when the operator 46 is pressed, vibration generated in the switch board module 40 and stress applied to the switch board module 40 are transmitted to the support side wall 32. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the display element 61 from being broken or erroneously displayed due to the influence of vibration or stress during the pressing operation.

  Further, since the optical base 50 is fixed to the support side wall 32, the switch board module 40 is supported by the board support wall 32a protruding from the support side wall 32. It is transmitted from 40 to the supporting side wall 32. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the optical axis of the optical base 50 from being displaced due to the influence of vibration and stress during the pressing operation. In particular, since the optical base 50 is arranged to be spaced downward from the lower surface of the substrate support wall 32a, the substrate support wall 32a bends downward due to vibration or stress during the pressing operation, or the substrate support wall 32a is distorted. Even if it occurs, the substrate support wall 32a can be prevented from coming into contact with the optical base 50.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which the optical base 50 is fixed to the support side wall 32 of the case body 30a has been described, but the present invention does not limit the mounting form of the optical base 50 to this. For example, the optical base 50 may be configured to be fixed to the second side wall 34 or the lower surface plate 35.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the photoelectric sensor 1 in which the display element 61 and the operation element 46 are arranged on the upper surface plate 31 of the sensor housing has been described. However, the present invention limits the orientation when the photoelectric sensor 1 is installed. Not what you want.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photoelectric sensor 10 Light projecting part 11 Light emitting element 12 Light projecting lens 20 Light receiving part 22 Light receiving lens 23 Light receiving element 30 Sensor housing 30a Case main body 30b Main body cover 31 Top plate 31a Screen opening 31b Manipulator through hole 31c Display module support part 32 Support side wall 32a Substrate support wall 32b Optical base mounting portion 33 First side wall 34 Second side wall 35 Bottom plate 40 Switch substrate module 41 Flexible substrate 42 Substrate holder 43 Electrical contact 44 Sealing member 45 Sealing member holders 46, 46a to 46c Operator 50 Optical base 51 Light projection substrate 52 Light reception substrate 53 Main substrate 54 Power supply substrate 60 Display module 61 Display element 62 Display element holder 3 Set key 4, 5 Select key 6 Screen display portion L1 Detection light L2 Reflected light

Claims (5)

An optical base holding a light emitting element for generating detection light;
A display element having a display surface;
An operation board on which an electrical contact for detecting a pressing operation on the operator is formed;
A sensor housing,
The sensor housing has an internal space formed by an upper surface plate on which the display element and the operation element are disposed, a side wall extending downward from the upper surface plate, and a lower surface plate facing the upper surface plate,
The display element is supported from the lower surface side by the upper surface plate,
The operation board is supported by a substrate support wall extending substantially parallel to the upper surface plate from the side wall, and the electric contact faces the operation element inserted through the operation element through hole of the upper surface plate,
The optical base is fixed to the side wall or the lower surface plate, and is arranged to be spaced downward from the lower surface of the substrate support wall.   The photoelectric sensor according to claim 1, wherein a part of the operation board is disposed below the display element. A sealing member made of an elastic material having a shape surrounding the operating element contact portion facing the operating element through hole with a thicker peripheral edge;
In a state where the peripheral portion of the sealing member is projected, a sealing member holder made of a frame body that holds the sealing member, and
The operation element through-hole is closed by the sealing member by press-fitting the operation substrate with the sealing member holder superimposed on the upper surface side between the upper surface plate and the substrate support wall. The photoelectric sensor according to claim 1 or 2.   The photoelectric sensor according to claim 3, wherein the operation board has a cross-sectional shape protruding from a lower surface and is provided with a rib extending in an insertion direction when the operation board is assembled to the sensor housing.   The sensor housing includes the upper surface plate, the lower surface plate, a first side wall provided with a light projection window for emitting the detection light, a second side wall facing the first side wall, and the substrate support wall. 5. A case main body constituted by a support side wall, and a main body cover that constitutes a side wall opposite to the support side wall and closes the opening of the case main body. Photoelectric sensor.

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